| Summary : A small Roman town at Braughing close by the junction of Ermine Street with Stane Street and two other Roman roads. Its stone-built nucleus is in Wickham Field; together with a surrounding area of timber building, some of which was used for working in iron, bronze and bone. There are a number of substantial buildings, including a bath house and a probable temple, with an orderly laid out pattern of streets. Much of the town is identifiable on air photographs and excavations were carried out between 1969-73. Occupation was continuous from before the Roman conquest to late 4th century, with coins ranging from mainly Tasciovanus (20 BC - AD10) to Arcadius (383-408). The town limits have not been established. Limited excavation during the laying of a water pipe at Wickham showed that the western end of the site lay in an area of deep riverine silt, suggesting a former course of the river. The East end, nearer the modern road revealed a series of ditches and pits dating from the Late Iron Age to Mediaeval Periods.Significantly, finds from the site covered the period from circa 30-45 AD, a period previously thought to have been a break in occupation of the area. Romano-British material extended into the 3rd century AD. |
More information : TL 388242 ROMAN TOWN (R) (site of) NAT) (1)
A small Roman town at Braughing close by the junction of Ermine Street with Stane Street and two other Roman roads. Its stone built nucleus is in Wickham Field at TL 388241; together with a surrounding area of timber building of which some had been used for working in iron, bronze and bone. There are a number of substantial buildings, including a bath house at TL 39132428 and a probable temple at TL 38972424, with an orderly laid out pattern of streets (see plan). Much of the town is identifiable on air photographs and four major excavations were carried out by the Inspectorate of Ancient Monuments, prior to proposed road works, between 1969-73. Prior to this only minor excavations and chance finds were made. Occupation was continuous from before the Roman conquest to late 4th century, with coins ranging from mainly Tasciovanus (20 BC - AD10) to Arcadius (383-408). The town limits have not been established, but a postulated line of defence was suggested by John Holmes in 1955
(see plan).
Proposed modern road works have been re-routed to avoid disturbing this settlement. (2)
Summary and excavation reports of work carried out at Braughing from 1968 to 1973. The paper includes reports on the excavation of the bathhouse (TL 39132428), the railway station site (TL 39002413), the Wickham Hill Nursery site (TL 389238) as well as a note on Samian stamps found in the River Rib. For excavations of two cemeteries see TL 32 SE 33; for excavation at Ralph Sadlier Middle School, Standon, see TL 32 SE 29 and for excavation of a cemetery at Ford Street, see TL 32 SE 7. The line of defences suggested by Holmes has been tested in two places, in both cases with negative results. (3)
Named on OS 1st edition 1" as AD FINES, but there is no reliable evidence for this name which is based on the forged Itinerary of Richard of Cirencester. (4-6)
Limited excavation during the laying of a water pipe from E-W across the scheduled area at Wickham Kennels in May 1982, (centred at TL39062435, derived from site location plan), showed that the western end of the site lay in an area of deep riverine silt, suggesting a former course of the R. Rib. The East end, nearer the modern road, (B1368, thought to lie on the route of Ermine Street), revealed a series of ditches and pits dating from the Late Iron Age to Mediaeval Periods.
Finds from the LIA occupation included fragments of three coin moulds containing traces of gold alloy. Significantly, finds from the site covered the period from ca.30-45 AD, a period previously thought to have been a break in occupation of the area. Romano-British material extended into the C3rd AD. A rubbish pit was cut in the C11th-C12th.(7)
General discussion of the origin and status of the Braughing complex. The site cannot be properly described as an oppidum in the currently accepted sense, although there is some evidence to support its status as a royal centre, an entreport, or a regular market in the pre-Conquest period.(8) |